Why are monks bald?

[Ozzie]

The lice kept falling onto their parchment while they were inking them, and it would often ruin a whole week's work.

Thank you friend Francine. Lice love dreadlocks. I can vouch for it.

 

[vandervalley]

I dont think this is so, whether it is a burden would depend on the attitude of the person. It could be said that having to shave your head regularly is a bigger 'burden'.

It is about detatchment. You can be detatched and shave your head or detatched and not bother. Equally, you can be very attached to growing your hair long and looking like a yogi, or you can be very attached to shaving your head and looking like a monk.

Surely we know it isnt so much what you do, but the attitude you have that is important.

yes but majority of "ordinary" people still are quite attached to their hair so short or no hair surely impedes this attachment to hair greatly.

 

[Azakel]

I have a question, is it only the top of the head that one shaves or do you also have to shave your face and have no facial hair?

 

[Somkid]

I have a question, is it only the top of the head that one shaves or do you also have to shave your face and have no facial hair?

That depends on the monks. Thai monks shave their heads but have some stubble and are not big on keeping up with the daily head shaving, during special holidays or when they feel like a really good shave they shave their eye brows as well. As a Chinese monk I shaved my head and face daily never to have stubble but I never shaved my eye brows. We had a master in my temple that had a long beard (kind of like in the old Kung Fu movies) which was allowed however the abbot had no facial hair.

 

[Azakel]

That depends on the monks. Thai monks shave their heads but have some stubble and are not big on keeping up with the daily head shaving, during special holidays or when they feel like a really good shave they shave their eye brows as well. As a Chinese monk I shaved my head and face daily never to have stubble but I never shaved my eye brows. We had a master in my temple that had a long beard (kind of like in the old Kung Fu movies) which was allowed however the abbot had no facial hair.

Thank you for the reply. So in the end it's up to the Buddhist and/or the Temple or way of teachings that will allow facial hair or not.

 

[Somkid]

Thank you for the reply. So in the end it's up to the Buddhist and/or the Temple or way of teachings that will allow facial hair or not.

Yes, basically. In the past the monks in my temple shaved their heads but had a long pony tail (again just like in the Kung Fu movies) but they didn't use them to fight. The long hair was called a "que" and it showed you were loyal to the emperor my temple actually was loyal to the emperor so it was not an issue however those who did not wear the que could be sentenced to death. So, the next time your in China town anywhere in the world and you see one of those funny little round hats with the barded pony tail connected you know what it means the reason for the hat is because some people lose all their hair and they didn't have Rogaine back then, thus the hat could help you keep your head.

 

[vandervalley]

Yes, basically. In the past the monks in my temple shaved their heads but had a long pony tail (again just like in the Kung Fu movies) but they didn't use them to fight. The long hair was called a "que" and it showed you were loyal to the emperor my temple actually was loyal to the emperor so it was not an issue however those who did not wear the que could be sentenced to death. So, the next time your in China town anywhere in the world and you see one of those funny little round hats with the barded pony tail connected you know what it means the reason for the hat is because some people lose all their hair and they didn't have Rogaine back then, thus the hat could help you keep your head.

actually this strange tradition of keeping the "que" which shows loyalty to the emperor only appeared in the Qing dynasty; it has no place in Taiwan or China today (except maybe in the movies).

Also; this "que" tradition does not apply to the monks. Monks of the Qing dynasty do not keep that "que" thing.

The only thing monks are loyal to is Buddha Dharma and Vinayas

 

[Somkid]

actually this strange tradition of keeping the "que" which shows loyalty to the emperor only appeared in the Qing dynasty; it has no place in Taiwan or China today (except maybe in the movies).

Also; this "que" tradition does not apply to the monks. Monks of the Qing dynasty do not keep that "que" thing.

The only thing monks are loyal to is Buddha Dharma and Vinayas

Yes I understand that, my temple was one of the few that actually wore a que in the Qing Dynasty. And obviously china has not had an emperor in a very long time and the communist party tends to favor short hair. And as you said for the most part monks did not wear a que but if they were traveling in some parts of China it was not a bad idea to wear one of those little hats and many did.

 

[koan]

This was because the Qing, were Manchus, and they enforced their particular hair style on the populace.

 

[zenzero]

well we are all enlightened about why to be or not be be bald as monks or plain monkey decendents. From that to enlightenment?
once enlightened the body is just like a carry bag anyway.
Love & rgds

 

[sunny1803]

In many ways the beauty of a person is attached to the his/her looks,those looks have a lot to do with hair.Women look beautiful with long hair,a good hair style makes a guy look smart. But these attractions create an obstical in ones path of going godly.So, not to have these distrations a man or a woman is asked to shave off... the root cause of disturbance.

 

[zenzero]

Friend sunny1803,
Yes, your understanding is correct but some may not be distracted at all even with their or others having hair or not.
Also note that since daily shaving too is addictive Jain monks pluck their hair one by one so that it comes out of its root though painful but then their hair never regrows. End of a hairy tale.
Love & rgds

 

[Azakel]

Friend sunny1803,
Yes, your understanding is correct but some may not be distracted at all even with their or others having hair or not.
Also note that since daily shaving too is addictive Jain monks pluck their hair one by one so that it comes out of its root though painful but then their hair never regrows. End of a hairy tale.
Love & rgds

Not true the hair can still grow back. It just takes much long then if you where to shave it, because the hair has to grow all the way to the top then out. But plucking would make it so one might not have to do it for a vary long time.

 

[vandervalley]

Friend sunny1803,
Yes, your understanding is correct but some may not be distracted at all even with their or others having hair or not.
Also note that since daily shaving too is addictive Jain monks pluck their hair one by one so that it comes out of its root though painful but then their hair never regrows. End of a hairy tale.
Love & rgds

friend zenzero

Buddhism also does not encourage unnecessary bodily harm such as the pulling out of the hairs; Ouch!!

Thus the true wisdom of the middle way of the Buddha Dharma can be seen in this case

 

[zenzero]

Friend Azakel,
Allow me to express my ignorance about whether pulling the hair out of its roots can regrow; however shall try and clarify the point on meeting any Jain monks.
Friend vandervalley,
You are absolutely right buddha professed the Middle path which is that of seeking balance like the centre of the pendulum where both the dualities are on either side. The centre of each being the centre of life, existence. etc.
Love & rgds